A Thorn in the Flesh

As you hopefully know by now mid-term elections happened yesterday. Maybe you voted, maybe you didn’t. Maybe there was mix of the candidates you voted for winning and losing, or perhaps your candidates pulled a flush and either completely won or lost. Perhaps you actually don’t like candidates from either of the big parties and you struggled with even the possibility of the candidate you support winning anything past a local election. Whatever the outcome I would like to remind you that if you are a follower of Jesus Christ then no government or politician is your hope.

Yep this is kind of what I meant. We should be annoying.

As important as I think voting is (and I do think it is very important) no politician or, especially, political party is the fulfillment of Christ’s kingdom on earth. Jesus is the one who has brought about and will one day finalize the kingdom of God on earth. I am therefore convinced that we need to vote our consciences, pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2), and constantly hold all our political leaders and parties, whether we voted for them or not, accountable to do the things Jesus would do if He were in our government. Jesus cares for the weak. Therefore, we should encourage the government we vote for to care for all those who are weak. Jesus cares for justice for all. Therefore, we should makes sure the officials we vote for do also. Etc. Etc.

Paul says the following in 2 Corinthians 12:7:

 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

Now Paul wasn’t talking about politics. Nope, this verse was about God making sure that Paul stayed humble. However I believe our political leaders need the same thing. Followers of Jesus need to be “thorns in the flesh” of our political leaders to make sure that their achieved power doesn’t build up their pride and keep them from doing what they ought to do.

So why not be a thorn in the side of your elected political leader. Annoy them, bother them, pester then. I think it’s a good thing to do.

BTW Man: Christian Anthropology in the Conflicts of the Present by Jurgen Moltmann  is great. I keep on reading  parts to Pam. It is hard to believe that it was written over forty years ago. It seems so relevant.